尽管年青人将自己的肤色在阳光下晒或用特制的烘烤床（tanning beds）烤成褐色已成为一种时尚，但医学专家们认为这种行为并不可取。因为将皮肤晒或烤成褐色的过程中，被晒或被烤者将会受到大剂量的紫外线照射，其结果可显著增加他或她患皮肤黑色素瘤的风险。调查显示，尽管专家们一再强调将皮肤晒或烤成褐色并不可取，但是：

１、仍有不少女性使用烘烤床和/或将自己经常暴露于太阳下，以获得褐色的皮肤。

２、18～22岁年龄段的白人女性最喜欢用特制的烘烤床，以将自己的皮肤烤成褐色。

３、美国城市中将皮肤转换成褐色的沙龙（tanning salons）非常常见，研究人员对116个美国城市调查发现，平均每个城市拥有42个类似的沙龙。

４、过去三十年来，美国人患黑色素瘤之发病率显著上升，其中又以白人女性最为常见。专家们预计，如果仍保持目前的趋势，那么每五个人可能就有一人患皮肤癌。

更多资讯，请参阅原文。

Survey Shows Dangers of Tanning Not Hitting Home

Majority of young women admit to using tanning beds, basking in the sun

TUESDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Although studies have shown that indoor tanning raises your risk of the deadly skin cancer melanoma by a staggering 75 percent, a new survey reveals that young women continue to use tanning beds at an alarming rate.

In the past year, 32 percent of the 3,800 young women questioned in the American Academy of Dermatology survey said they had visited a tanning salon. In fact, 25 percent of those who tanned admitted to soaking up ultraviolet (UV) rays from indoor beds at least once a week, on average. Moreover, 81 percent of the respondents also tanned outdoors, either frequently or occasionally.

Young women were the most at risk, according to the survey. Specifically, 18- to 22-year-olds were almost twice as likely as 14- to 17-year-olds to have use a tanning bed.

"Exposure to UV radiation is the leading risk factor for skin cancer, yet -- despite this knowledge -- droves of teens and young women are flocking to tanning bed facilities and beaches or pools to tan every year," academy president and dermatologist Dr. Ronald L. Moy said in a news release from the academy.

"The challenge is that teens have access to indoor tanning salons on almost every corner. A recent survey of 116 U.S. cities found an average of 42 tanning salons per city, which means tanning salons are more prevalent than Starbucks or McDonald's. We are very concerned that this tanning behavior will lead to a continued increase in the incidence of skin cancer in young people and, ultimately, more untimely deaths from this devastating disease," Moy added.

Melanoma rates have been increasing for the past three decades, particularly among young, white women, the academy noted. If trends continue, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime. The disturbing numbers prompted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization's International Agency of Research on Cancer panel to declare UV radiation from both the sun and artificial light sources as a known carcinogen.

"Our survey underscores the importance of educating young women about the very real risks of tanning, as melanoma -- the deadliest form of skin cancer -- is increasing faster in females 15 to 29 years old than in males of the same age group," said Moy. "In my practice, I have had patients -- young women with a history of using tanning beds -- who have died from melanoma."

SOURCE: American Academy of Dermatology, news release, May 2, 2011